Home / RYA / Sail cruising / Competent Crew
RYA Competent Crew
RYA Competent Crew is one of the strongest entry points for anyone who intends to sail cruising yachts. RYA currently lists it as a five-day practical course requiring no previous sailing experience, normally run liveaboard on a cruising yacht.
The purpose is not to create a skipper. The purpose is to create an active crew member who understands what is happening aboard: steering, changing sails, reefing, ropework and knots, safety equipment, person-overboard recovery, basic meteorology, keeping a lookout, general duties and onboard routines.
It suits complete beginners who want yachts rather than dinghies; couples planning to cruise who want both partners competent; and anyone whose end goal is charter, ownership or offshore passages. Someone who only wants to try sailing once may prefer Start Yachting — two days rather than five.
- Duration
- 5 days, practical
- Experience required
- None
- Boat
- Cruising yacht, usually liveaboard
- What comes next
- Day Skipper Theory & Practical
The course in context
Competent Crew helps a beginner become someone a skipper can rely on for everyday yacht tasks. The important change is from being carried as a passenger to contributing: steering, handling sails and lines, keeping a lookout and understanding how the crew lives and works aboard.
Before you start
No prior sailing is required. Ask about the yacht, accommodation and the daily routine before booking. Bring questions about any physical tasks you are unsure of; different boats have different boarding arrangements, companionways and deck layouts.
Skills you will develop
Practical crew work
Develop familiarity with the ropes, sails and equipment used throughout a passage. Rotating jobs helps you understand how your task fits into the whole manoeuvre.
Steering and lookout
Learn to steer under instruction while remaining aware of the water and other people aboard. Lookout is an active responsibility, not simply looking forward occasionally.
Living and responding aboard
Share domestic routines and learn how the crew responds to safety situations. Clear communication matters when a task is new or conditions become distracting.
Training and assessment
The standard course is five days, with some centres offering split formats. Instruction and practical observation happen throughout the course. This is a crew-level outcome; navigation and responsibility for a passage belong to later skipper training.
Questions to ask the school
- How is helm time shared?
- What is the sleeping arrangement?
- Where can I gain crew experience afterwards?
Related learning
The RYA sail cruising pathway
Day Skipper Practical marks the transition from crew to skipper. It should not be marketed as “become an expert skipper in five days” — it is an important stage in skipper development, and experience still matters.
IYT equivalent
International Crew — theory and practical for an active crew member; modules 1–11 of the IYT passport.
American Sailing equivalent
ASA 101 Keelboat 1 followed by ASA 103 Coastal Cruising covers similar ground on smaller boats first.
Australian Sailing equivalent
Start Crewing on a keelboat — boat handling, safety, terminology, theory and crew roles in sheltered waters.
Schools offering RYA Competent Crew
Flying Fish Sailing
RYA and Australian Sailing centre at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, with professional Yachtmaster programs running 8 to 16 weeks.
Mainstay Sailing
RYA-accredited courses run in the Whitsundays.
NAVatHOME Australia
RYA shorebased theory delivered online — navigation and seamanship courses taken at home, at your own pace.
Oceanwest RYA Sailing School
RYA courses from Port Geographe Marina in the South West, beginner through Yachtmaster, with ICC assessments.
Paper Sailors Rock
The Tasmanian base of the RYA centre, operating from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania at Sandy Bay.
Southern Cross Yachting
RYA training centre at East Coast Marina since 1996, with one-day to five-day courses, charter preparation and coastal mile builders.
Sunshine Sailing Australia
Based at Mooloolaba Marina, running sail and power training on the Sunshine Coast, in Brisbane and in the Whitsundays.
Yachtmaster Sailing School
RYA courses on Port Phillip from Competent Crew to Yachtmaster, taught on sea-going yachts rather than inshore training boats.
Every price on this site carries the date it was checked. A two-hour introduction and a five-day liveaboard course should never be compared on price alone. How much do sailing courses cost? →
Is Competent Crew the right first course for you?
If you would rather start in a dinghy or keelboat, or you already crew, the three-question finder will say so.